Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
American Steam merchant
Name | Jeremiah Van Rensselaer | ||
Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | ||
Tonnage | 7,177 tons | ||
Completed | 1942 - North Carolina Shipbuilding Co, Wilmington NC | ||
Owner | Agwilines Inc, New York | ||
Homeport | Wilmington | ||
Date of attack | 2 Feb 1943 | Nationality: American | |
Fate | Sunk by U-456 (Max-Martin Teichert) | ||
Position | 55° 13'N, 28° 53'W - Grid AK 6461 | ||
Complement | 71 (47 dead and 24 survivors). | ||
Convoy | HX-224 | ||
Route | New York - UK | ||
Cargo | 9000 tons of Army cargo | ||
History | Completed June 1942
| ||
Notes on event | At 03.04 hours on 2 Feb 1943 the Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (Master Lucius Whitfield Webb, lost) in station #45 (last ship in the extreme port column) of convoy HX-224 was torpedoed by U-456. The ship had been in station #11, but had performed poorly keeping station and kept her station about once in seven nights, she managed to catch up in the daytime and consequently her position was changed. Only one officer, six crewmen and 17 armed guards survived. 23 survivors and three bodies were picked up after five hours by the British rescue ship Accrington and landed at Gourock. A boarding party from the US Coast Guard cutter USS Ingham (WPG 35) later boarded the ship and noted that she could have been saved, but the watch below left the boilers fire lit, which burned the boilers out. The vessel was scuttled by gunfire at 13.00 hours. The boarding party also found one man, who never left the ship and took him to the escort vessel. One week later two bodies were recovered from a raft by FFL Lobelia (K 05). | ||
On board | We have details of 46 people who were on board. |
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.